Conquering the Pacific: An Unknown Mariner and the Final Great Voyage of the Age of Discovery

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The story of an uncovered voyage as colorful and momentous as any on record for the Age of Discoveryand of the Black mariner whose stunning accomplishment has been until now lost to history

It began with a secret mission, no expenses spared. Spain, plotting to break Portugals monopoly trade with the fabled Orient, set sail from a hidden Mexican port to cross the Pacificand then, critically, to attempt the never-before-accomplished return, thevuelta. Four ships set out from Navidad, each one carrying a dream team of navigators. The smallest ship, guided by seaman Lope Martn, amulattowho had risen through the ranks to become one of the most qualified pilots of the era, soon pulled far ahead and became mysteriously lost from the fleet. It was the beginning of a voyage of epic scope, featuring mutiny, murderous encounters with Pacific islanders, astonishing physical hardshipsand at last a triumphant return to the New World. But the pilot of the fleets flagship, the Augustine friar mariner Andrs de Urdaneta, later caught up with Martn to achieve thevueltaas well. It was he who now basked in glory, while Lope Martn was secretly sentenced to be hanged by the Spanish crown as repayment for his services. Acclaimed historian Andrs Resndez, through brilliant scholarship and riveting storytellingincluding an astonishing outcome for the resilient Lope Martn--sets the record straight.

Reviews

A pacey account [of] a triumph of seamanship over wind and water.And credit for it, Mr. Resndez shows persuasively, rests with a brilliant pilot whose role has long been neglected. Wall Street Journal Riveting...Enlivened by lucid explanations of navigational techniques, larger-than-life characters, and colorful anecdotes from the age of exploration, this is a rip-roaring maritime adventure. Publishers Weekly(starred review) [Resndez] makes the details fascinating and compelling. Readers of sailing and adventure stories will find this true account both enlightening and exciting. Booklist(starred review) AndrsResndezsConquering the Pacificis a masterwork of narrative and conception.Resndezmagically transforms dogged archival research into a sweeping vision of the past, capturing the grandest of epochsof sail, of discovery, of conquest, of slavery and the beginning of globalizationin the thrilling life of a heretofore anonymous master and commander.A riveting tour-de-force. Greg Grandin, Pultizer Prize-winning author of The End of the Myth and Empire's Workshop At once learned and lively,Conquering the Pacificis a remarkable journey of discovery.Conquering the Pacifichas it all: a covert mission, mutiny and swordplay on the high seas, and a dynamic lead role in Lope Martn, the courageous and heroic Afro-Portuguese navigator. The crisp narrative whirls like a gyre, transporting readers to previously unknown seas and shores. A vital, captivating read. Buddy Levy, authorof Labyrinth of Ice A historian, sailor, and master storyteller, Andrs Resndez pilots us brilliantly through the intricacies of long-distance Pacific navigation during the last decades of the Age of Discovery. Hismesmerizing account of momentous deep-water voyages involving weeks out of sight of land is a masterpiece of detailed historical inquiry and writing. I couldnt put it down. Brian Fagan,author ofThe Little Ice AgeandBeyond the Blue Horizon [A] taut reconstruction of the first recorded west-to-east crossing of the Pacific. New Yorker

Author Bio

ANDRS RESNDEZs most recent book,The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America, was a finalist for the National Book Award and the winner of the 2017 Bancroft Prize. He is a professor of history at the University of California, Davis, a current Carnegie fellow, and an avid sailor.